John Curley: Daylight Saving Time was actually about studying bugs

Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins this weekend, and John Curley says it’s actually chance to study bugs.

Contrary to popular belief, Benjamin Franklin didn’t invent it. The idea actually came from George Hudson, a New Zealand entomologist, in 1895. Hudson proposed DST to give himself more daylight hours to study insects.

“He studied bugs, and he wanted more time to look at bugs during the daylight. That’s why he came up with it,” Curley said on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

While DST was originally adopted to conserve energy, studies have shown it doesn’t significantly reduce energy consumption. “It doesn’t actually do anything to save energy because people use more AC in the summer,” Curley said.

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Farmers are usually against Daylight Saving Time

Farmers have historically opposed DST because it disrupts their schedules, particularly when it comes to feeding livestock.

“Farmers didn’t like it either, because it messed up their cows when it came to feeding time,” Curley explained.

The first widespread use of DST was during World War I by Germany, aiming to conserve fuel. The United States followed suit in 1918 under President Woodrow Wilson, but the practice was repealed after the war. It was reintroduced during World War II by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and later standardized by the Uniform Time Act of 1966 under President Lyndon B. Johnson.

“President Wilson — one of the worst — in 1918, he made it a law. Then it was repealed,” Curley said. “Then FDR relaunched in 1942 and then LBJ made it officially the law in 1966 and that’s why we’re stuck with daylight saving time.”

Snacks, candy… and crime

Interestingly, the candy and snack industry has lobbied to keep DST..

“The candy and snack industry lobby hard to keep it around because it allows you to have more time to eat snacks,” Curley said.

One of the more unexpected benefits of DST is its impact on crime rates. A 2015 study by the Brookings Institution found that robberies decrease on the day DST begins, thanks to the additional hour of daylight in the evening, which acts as a deterrent.

So, as you set your clocks forward at 2 a.m. this Sunday, remember that it’s not just about losing an hour of sleep—it’s also about gaining an hour of daylight that could make our communities safer.

“They also choose 2 a.m. because they thought most people would be home, they would be out of the bars by then. That would be the best time to spring forward the one hour,” Curley said.

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Listen to John Curley on “The John Curley Show” weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio. 

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